


Old places, New faces

by TheBuggu



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Fix-it fic, M/M, Post-Age of Extinction (2014), Robutt kissing, Spoilers, mentioned character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 07:51:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2060028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBuggu/pseuds/TheBuggu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Autobots make a discovery on the ship they stole from Lockdown's.</p><p>Things are never as simple you would think.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old places, New faces

**Author's Note:**

> So...Um. This all started with a discussion with some friends about how Ratchet's death wasn't as clear cut as established. Like Lockdown just...takes Ratchet's spark? I found it just weird. And then I had a dream about this. Sob.

It all began with a single question after the Autobots had taken the time to look more thoroughly in the ship they took from Lockdown: Could it be done? Crosshairs was the one who made the discovery. A spark locked inside a life-support container was hidden in the pedestal, in the “trophy room”. The pulses produced from it were quite strong, leaving them to reason that it had not been separated very long from its body. There was only one mech to their knowledge that was killed right before the battle in China. The timing matched up perfectly.

Hound had quickly made contact with Joshua Joyce in KSI's headquarters, while Crosshairs delicately opened the pedestal to check on the spark again. It was only a matter of time before the life-support of the container ended since their ship was no longer connected to Lockdown's. It now lacked the power needed to sustain it.

He discussed the issue with Joyce. Unfortunately, most of the original body had already been melted and destroyed even before the Autobots had infiltrated Joyce's building in Chicago. But, to Hound's surprise, the human still requested for them to bring the spark as soon as possible.

They gathered to speak in private. There was no need to worry the humans over the matter. Minutes of talking occurred, then they decided that only one of the mechs would travel to Chicago with the spark. It would be unwise to leave their human charges unguarded after just returning them to their home. Especially with rogue Decepticons still on the loose.

Hound volunteered to take the spark, knowing he would be the least useful in a fight at the moment. He ran out of ammo during the battle in China. Drift had a dependable flight mode as well as his hand to hand combat skills, Crosshairs still had a few tricks up his sleeves with the different amount of weapons he carried and his tech savvy, and Bumblebee was the one who kept the interests of the humans in a high regard.

But Hound...He was as useless as a gun without a bullet.

Hound mused as he puffed on his cy-gar, occasionally glancing to the pedestal from the cockpit's chair. He ran a servo through the metallic fibers of his beard and frowned.

''Some shit, eh?” he asked aloud.

The flight to Chicago took less than a hour, but the silence dragged on for Hound. When he arrived in the city limits, he contacted Joyce on a private channel. With clearance to land on KSI's rooftop, Hound maneuvered the ship to the top of the building and lowered it down. With a loud sigh, Hound stood up from the chair and walked over to the pedestal. It peeled open to reveal the container again.

Hound stared at the beating glow of light and hesitantly reached a servo to press against the container's glass. He considered the spark for a few moments in silence before taking a final puff of his cy-gar, now finished, and flicking it away.

“It's alright. Ain't no one gonna hurt you anymore,” he murmured as he activated the controls for the container. Hound's optics narrowed in concern as he observed the flicking light emitted as if making a response. He gently picked up the spark's case and tucked it against his side in a cradle, carefully wrapping one arm around to support it. The footage still haunted him. How...ruthlessly the others had been terminated; how their bodies had been cannibalized for parts.

It disgusted Hound.

Hound used his free hand to gently rub against the spark's outer shell and frowned again. He could only hope that this would work. Whatever _this_ was. 

As Hound departed their commandeered ship and walked out onto KSI's rooftop, he was met with Joyce and a small group of other humans gathered behind him. To the immediate right of him, Hound spotted a large metal rolling table and produced a loud scoff as he got closer to the humans.

“I'm here,” Hound stated and pulled the spark as close as he could against him.

Joyce nodded and gestured to the metal table. “I know tensions between us are still high--”

“For damn good reasons,” Hound interrupted and scowled.

“Yes. I understand. But, I am being extremely sincere in offering my help. Just place that spark, was it? Put it here and we'll bring it down to the test lab,” Joyce explained while patting the table beside him.

Hound huffed and tightened his arm around the spark. “Hell no.  _I'm_ carrying it. You humans don't have the right to touch this,” Hound snarled as he walked a few steps past Joyce and his group. “You might've helped out the Yeagers and gave them a new house, but that's not good enough to earn  _our_ trust back.”

He did not hear an immediate response from Joyce. When Hound glanced back to the human, he watched as the businessman waved away the table and turned to follow after Hound. “We were assured that they were just Decepticons. We didn't know any better.”

“As if that makes it acceptable,” Hound snapped back. “Some of them were great soldiers. Do you treat other humans like that?”

“Touché,” Joyce replied and walked alongside Hound. “Humor me in this for a moment though. Five years ago, hundreds of humans were killed in _your_ kind's war. We had no way to defend ourselves. It's true that I should have questioned the man who brought bodies of dead Transformers and called them Decepticons more thoroughly, but...can you really blame human kind for wanting a way to keep itself safe?”

Hound stopped in his tracks and moved his gaze back down towards Joyce. He produced a loud and conflicted intake before walking again. He wasn't interested in a discussion of morality. “Let's just get this over with, shrimp.”

They walked in silence to the rooftop's platform elevator. Hound glanced back to the ship before the elevator activated and lowered down. He moved his free hand up in a defensive position against the spark and waited expectantly as they were lowered down.

“Here's what I don't get, human,” Hound began after a few seconds and stared down at Joyce. “You said the body was gone. Yet, you still wanted the spark brought here. Why?”

Joyce nodded briskly and folded his arms behind his back as he looked up at Hound. “It's true that a large portion of the body has already been taken apart and is unsalvageable. Unfortunately. But, right before Galvatron's test run, my team was already working on a new model.” Joyce paused and lifted one hand to lightly adjust the frames of his glasses. “Based...on the medic's body.”

Hound raised an optic ridge. His lips pursed into a large frown. “Unless I'm missin' something, all your dress up dolls got controlled by Galvatron. Megatron. Whoever the hell he was.”

“Those already completed, you mean,” Joyce corrected Hound and smiled as he wagged a finger at the mech. “This body was barely a skeleton frame when the whole China...fiasco happened.” He winced as he tacitly worded the sentence. “After we received your information, my team has been diligently working to finish it and incorporated as much of his original body as possible. Which was mainly internal pieces. He's gotten a complete makeover aesthetically-wise.”

“So...he wouldn't be controlled,” Hound guessed as the words dawned on him. “That's why you need his spark, ain't it?”

After Joyce nodded again, Hound moved his optics to the floors below him. The elevator was covered by a glass tubing. As he stared down at floor after floor, he heard Joshua Joyce produce a large sigh.

“I know that a simple apology can never be enough to make up for what has happened and you're right when you said it will take a lot more to atone.” Joyce removed his glasses as his expression contorted into a frown. He wiped at his lenses with a piece of cloth in his blazer's pocket before returning them to his face. The human's eyes reflected a jaded gaze when he glanced back up to Hound. “But, I hope it can be a start.”

Hound said nothing.

A few minutes later, the elevator slowly jolted to a stop on one of KSI's many floors. (Hound had lost track after twenty.) The glass panels of the tube slid apart, giving Hound and Joyce access to the floor. He allowed the human to step out first before he moved off the elevator and glanced around. Several of the humans were frantically moving back and forth on the large floor, so much so that Hound had to carefully walk forward to avoid stepping on any of them. He paused after spotting the Cybertronian body, laying on a large slab of metal.

Hound gaped.

A red and white paint job. A large red chevron helm crest. A much more boxier frame. The KSI humans were climbing all over the body with stepping ladders, working to make the final touches in patching and welding the armor together. Hound slowly stepped closer to the body's side and stared down at it in silence. He lifted his servo and placed it against the left arm, squeezing it gently. He hated to admit it, but it now had a much more handsome, expressive face to go along with the new frame.

“It might help since there are original parts in this,” Hound explained. “I ain't exactly a medic, you know. But, got any specifics on what's still the same?” he asked and glanced back to Joyce.

“We were able to use his head. It was left completely intact aside from the change of appearance. Other then that? Bits and pieces of circuitry and frame plates on the infrastructure.” Joyce followed after Hound in a few quick strides and crossed his arms again as he stared.

“I would advise all you fleshies to get back. No telling how he'll react,” Hound warned as he leaned closer to inspect the lifeless optics staring vacantly upwards. “If this works.”

Hound glanced down to the spark in his hands. He lifted it up to stare directly at it and smoothly ran his servo against the spark's shell as if to assure it. It produced a faint glow. He gave a final glance to the other humans and waited for them to move away from the table. It was one thing to transfer a spark from one frame to another, but the horrors involved in this case were despicable. The spark could easily be damaged from the trauma and fade away from the shock.

Producing a large intake before he leaned forward, he sent a short look towards Joyce. All eyes were locked on him. Silence.

Hound reached down for the frame's chestplate and gently, yet firmly, unfolded the shielding plates manually. He gazed at the empty hole that met his optics once he opened the chestplate and then moved his optics to the spark.

“'Sall up to you.”

He dropped the spark into the chamber and waited. There was no immediate reaction. Only more silence. It nearly disappointed Hound.

But, seconds passed and suddenly, the spark flared to life. The spark chamber sealed closed again. The frame began to twitch sporadically. Hound watched with wide optics as the frame quickly emitted a bright red biolight. The frame's optics brightened to life. They blinked a few times before glancing around in surprise. Fear. He sat up on the metal berth.

“Lockdown?!” the mech demanded and whipped his helm around wildly.

Hound watched in silence until the mech tried to stand up from the berth. “Easy now, Doc,” he murmured in a calm voice and moved to place his servos to keep him restrained. Ratchet immediately fought against Hound and thrashed in a crazed motion.

“The humans! They betrayed us!” Ratchet screamed as he struggled to push Hound away, as if he could not recognize that Hound was only trying to help. “Have to warn Optimus!”

Hound's optics narrowed as his gripped tightened on Ratchet's shoulders. “Ratchet! It's Hound. Everything is alright. It's alright.”

But his words only seemed to provoke the medic further. Hound hissed as he was met with a feral clawing to his face and neck. Anything to try and get free. He snarled and glanced back to Joyce as he wrangled with Ratchet on the berth and rolled his head to the doors. “Get your people out of here! Seeing humans will just make him more upset!”

None the humans had to be told twice. They scrambled into hiding and cleared the floor in mere seconds.

Hound turned his attention back towards Ratchet and frowned down at the other mech. “Get it together!” he exclaimed and roughly shook Ratchet's shoulders and leaned closer. “Look, I know you're scared Ratchet, but I'll be damned if I just let you snap here.”

Ratchet continued to scream and struggle against Hound. He threw several punches at Hound and writhed as if his life depended on it. His optics quivered as he tried to free himself. Servos trembled. He paused from his screams and whimpered, moving his distant stare to the ground.

It was unnerving how Ratchet had gone from the violent awakening to sitting on the berth with a lifeless appearance again.

Hound took the opportunity and quickly released Ratchet. He moved a servo to the medic's shoulder and rubbed on the plate in a calming motion. “C'mon, Doc. The Autobots really need you. We don't have many numbers left,” he stated sadly and used his other servo to tapped it against the bridge of his own optics.

“I-Ironhide?” Ratchet asked quietly. The longer Hound watched him, the more he was certain the medic was still in his daze.

“No,” Hound replied truthfully. His optics darted away from the medic's face and eyed the ground. “You know he's gone, Ratchet.”

Hound winced and slowly moved his servos away from the medic after realizing just how harsh he had sounded. He watched as the medic's composure began to crack again. Ratchet was shaking. He made several gasps and then hid his faceplate underneath his servos. Many short, choked wails of despair seeped out of Ratchet's mouth.

In silence, Hound pulled out another cy-gar and activated it. He took a seat on the free space on the table beside Ratchet. “It's alright, Doc. Take the time you need.”

He puffed on the cy-gar in silence. Minutes passed as he listened to Ratchet's distressed cries, but he made no reaction. He wasn't going to rush the medic any more than he needed to, especially considering that he was still facing the shock of having died.

“Lockdown... The humans hunted me down,” Ratchet quickly said with a distressed tone. “I surrendered to them when they caught me. I didn't even try to fight back or hurt them. I'm just a medic. But...then Lockdown was there too.”

Hound could hear the lack of stability in Ratchet's tone. He shook his head and puffed more on his cy-gar in silence.

“He demanded to know where Optimus was. I...I refused,” Ratchet explained. “After all we did for the humans. They betrayed us and hunted us like...like...vermin.”

Hound glanced back to Ratchet and frowned as he saw the medic's expression. He lifted a hand to Ratchet's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. “Yeah. They hunted down a lot of us.”

Ratchet's optics dimmed as he stared down at his own servos. With several, slow blinks he examined his body more closely. “What's happened to me?”

Hound did not respond as Ratchet's question mulled over in his mind. He took a long puff from his cy-gar again before he replied. He explained everything to Ratchet. How he and the group consisting of Crosshairs, Drift, and Bumblebee waited for Optimus after receiving his warning. How their leader arrived with the humans. How they infiltrated KSI after discovering what was occurring in the building. The fight with Lockdown. How Optimus departed the planet and left the Autobots in charge of protecting the Yeagers.

Hound noticed the camera overheard on the ceiling and eyed it unwaveringly as he reminisced over the recent events.

Ratchet, on the other hand, remained silent for a few minutes as Hound's story sank in. His shoulders drooped down as he moved his optics to the ground.

“There aren't many of us left now,” Hound said with a deep sigh. “That's why I think you should stay with us, Ratchet.”

Ratchet nodded slowly. He did not say a single word as Hound moved back to standing on his pedes. He heard the sound of doors parting open. Joyce walked back into the room. The human's arms were crossed as he sent a glance to Hound and then fixated his stare on Ratchet.

“It worked? Incredible,” Joyce announced as he stared at the medic. “I...I am truly sorry about the circumstances.”

“A human!” Ratchet hissed and scooted back from his seating a few inches. The medic glared with a surprising intensity. Hound glanced back and held a servo up at Ratchet.

“Easy. He's not a bad one. Well, it's a matter of opinion on that I guess,” he said with a soft snort.

“Hey!” Joyce replied and scowled up at Hound. “Don't forget that I kind of, you know, brought him back to life?”

Hound glanced back down to the human and took a final puff of his cy-gar. He raised an optic ridge at Joyce before flicking his cy-gar down near the human. “That was mean,” he said as he pointed down at Joyce.

“Can we go?” Ratchet asked suddenly and stood up from the berth.

Hound glanced down to Ratchet's legs, observing how they were shaking. Ratchet almost immediately fell forward, but Hound was quick enough to grab him. He moved one arm around Ratchet's waist and used the other to sling Ratchet's around his shoulders.

“I gotcha,” he replied to Ratchet. At most, the other mech reached to his chest in height, even in his old frame. So, Hound was left bending at an awkward angle on his knee-joints to keep Ratchet supported, but he didn't mind doing so. The medic really needed as much support as he could get. In more ways than one.

“Thank you,” Ratchet whispered with a cracked voice.

“Your frame is practically new. It'll take some time to adjust to it,” Hound explained. He paused and glanced back to Joshua Joyce, knowing that the human was watching. He nodded to him and mouthed a silent 'thank you'.

He left them go without a single objection.

As Hound led Ratchet through the same route he and Joyce had taken, they walked in silence. They rode the elevator in silence. They exited the elevator in silence. They walked across the rooftop in silence. He helped Ratchet onto the cruiser and placed him on one of the seats surrounding the cockpit.

Hound sat down on the cockpit's chair and pulled out another cy-gar. He sat for a few minutes before suddenly laughing. “Pretty silly, eh? Two old timers like us. Well, I guess you ain't so old anymore,” he stated and threw a glance over his shoulder.

“Is this...really the time to be joking?” Ratchet hissed and glared at Hound.

The Autobot commando shrugged in response and took another puff of his cy-gar. “If now ain't the time, then when?” Hound shot back at Ratchet and turned his attention back to the flight controls. In a matter of seconds, he had the ship online once again and lifting off from KSI's roof.

“I...should be dead,” Ratchet muttered in a bitter tone. Hound heard a clump of metal from Ratchet slumping in his chair.

He sighed. Anger and sadness seeped into the air, but he couldn't blame Ratchet.

“Do you remember the last time we spoke, Doc? About, hell, two or three years back?” he suddenly asked.

Another puff off his cy-gar.

Ratchet did not reply.

 

 

 

“ _So_ you're leaving?” Ratchet asked him. 

Hounded nodded and watched as the dust flew at their feet. “It's better this way. Especially with the warning we got from Prime. A desert might be a good hiding place, but it's only good for so long, Doc.” 

“I told you not to call me that,” Ratchet grunted back. 

“I won't be coming back either,” Hound continued, ignoring the annoyed look he received from Ratchet. 

“What?” Ratchet asked, taken back by the news.

“I managed to get snips of a communication signal. Hard as hell to decode, but I managed. A few other survivors have established a safe area. Good vantage point for scouting and hiding from the humans. So, I'll be heading there to join them. At least until we hear from Optimus again.”

“Then, I want to come with you!” Ratchet exclaimed and swung a servo in the air.

Hound watched Ratchet and shook his helm in response, but he wore a half-smile. “Doc, you aren't a soldier. Your skills are way too valuable to risk losing if we were to be found.”

Ratchet frowned and closed his optics. “And if any of you need a medic? What if there is an injury that none of you can treat? You're just going to toss me away? Like...like I'm worthless?!”

“No.” Hound stepped closer and placed his servo against the medic's shoulderplate. “We're soldiers. If the humans are gonna keep hunting us down, I at least want to go down giving them hell. You're smart and can stay better hidden alone and I just don't want to see you caught along with us.”

Ratchet opened his optics once more and gazed up at Hound. He opened his mouth to object, but was quickly cut off from speaking.

“So,” Hound continued, “before I leave. I've...wanted to tell you something, Doc.”

In a flash, Hound tightened his grip on Ratchet's shoulder. He moved his other servo up as well. He faced Ratchet directly, gently turning Ratchet to match him. He hesitated for a moment, but he still gave in. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss against Ratchet's cheek. They both stood in silence. Perhaps from fear, perhaps from shock and embarrassment. Hound's gaze lingered on Ratchet for what seemed like an eternity until he pulled back. It was something better to do rather than say.

He watched as Ratchet lifted a servo to his cheek, still wearing a stunned expression. The medic's optics flared to life as he gaped at Hound.

“All...this time?” Ratchet questioned with a soft whisper. “But, why now?”

“Because,” Hound began and slowly turned away. “I respect Ironhide's memory too much. Take care, Doc.”

Hound did not give Ratchet the chance to reply. He was in his tactical vehicle form and driving away in seconds. As he continued to put distance between himself and Ratchet, he observed the medic in his mirrors. He was a soldier in a war. Soldiers could not allow themselves to be distracted.

 

 

 

“Part of me still feels the same way,” Hound said suddenly as his optics grazed over the navigation screen in front of the cockpit. “But after I saw what happened to you? After I encountered one of the humans responsible for that? I was damn ready to blow his fleshy ass away.”

Ratchet still did not reply to him.

“I should've just let you come with me. I was just too damn stubborn.”

He heard Ratchet produce a soft sigh.

“Hound...Does this ship have an auto-pilot function?”

Hound blinked in surprise, but still activated the controls. He rotated his chair around and looked at Ratchet. The medic was eyeing him with a scowl. He stood up from his seat and took a few steps toward Hound.

“Don't say a single word,” Ratchet ordered and lifted a servo to Hound's mouth. He then moved onto Hound's lap, straddling against one of Hound's thighs. He wrapped his arms around Hound's helm and leaned in to plant his mouth on Hound's in a kiss.

Hound froze in surprise. His servos hovered in the air, just above Ratchet's waist. He felt scared to even touch the medic.

Ratchet broke the kiss and rolled his optics. “Oh, for the love of. Grh,” he muttered as he grabbed Hound's arms and forced them into contact with his plating.

“You're a bit grumpier than I remember, Doc,” Hound said with a loud chuckle, trying to hide his nervousness.

Ratchet huffed in response and leaned directly against Hound's chest. “Well, you're giving me a reason to be.”

“I...Are you sure?” Hound asked, feeling more self-conscious and guilty the longer he stared into Ratchet's optics. “About this, I mean?”

Ratchet's optics dimmed as he looked up at Hound and he did not immediately reply. But, when he did reply, Ratchet's optics quickly brightened once more. “Nothing can change that I loved Ironhide. His death left me in a dark place,” he explained and moved his servos to grab at Hound's large dog tags hanging down against his chestplate. He stared at them with a frown. “You didn't attempt to take advantage of it and allowed me to mourn. I admire what you were trying to do, Hound. But...How _dare_ you do something like that and not allow me the chance to answer you?”

Hound closed his optics and bowed his helm in acknowledgment. In hindsight, it was pretty stupid of him to do.

“You might have been surprised with my answer,” Ratchet said after they sat in silence for a few minutes. He leaned up again and pressed his mouth to Hound's once more.

Hound finally relaxed and accepted the kiss.

In matter of battle, fighting tooth and nail for life or death, Hound was one of the best. He wasn't afraid over losing his life. He had no problem shoving grenades down Decepticon throats or entering the most extreme of dogfights. When it came to emotions and feelings though? Hound was honestly afraid. Too many unknowns that could never be predicted left him as shaky as a new soldier; it was a fact that haunted him.

But now, having Ratchet with him again gave him such relief. It killed him to think that their conversation years ago would have been their last one. It left him with a knot of guilt and he never forgave himself for it.

He grabbed tightly on Ratchet's waist as it dawned on him that this was reality. He broke away from the kiss and rested his head on the medic's shoulder. His optics dimmed several shades.

“I'm sorry, Doc,” Hound muttered and closed his optics. “I'm a soldier. I don't know how to be what Ironhide was.”

Ratchet sighed and brushed a servo against Hound's cheek. “You won't be a replacement for Ironhide. I'll never forget him, Hound. He'd want me to move on though and to be happy. We'll take this as slow as we need to,” he murmured.

Hound looked up again.

“That is, if I'm to imagine what you told me during our last meet still has credibility?” Ratchet asked with a small smile.

Hound nodded and smiled sincerely for the first time since Ratchet had been revived. “Of course.”

In an instant, they were locked in another kiss. In Hound's estimate, there was about two-thirds of the trip left to the Yeager's house.

It was enough time to begin reacquainting with one another.

 

* * *

 

 

  * Bayverse Ratchet's new look. Designed by deceptidont.tumblr.com



 

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if see any spelling/grammar errors? :D


End file.
